How to organise the work christmas party under lockdown

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Amid all the unpredictability and confusion that 2020 has delivered, one thing we can be sure of is that 25th December is fast approaching – and bringing with it the promise of a little respite from a chaotic time. But even as we wait to find out what state of lockdown we’ll be in come Christmastime, it’s clear that the build-up to the festive season will look very different from usual. Cancelled pantomimes, no continental markets, socially distanced Santa’s grottos, and, yes, virtual Christmas parties.

We’re in uncharted territory when it comes to virtual work socials, but the coronavirus pandemic has demanded that at Wildgoose we raise our game and deliver incredible new team building experiences that keep employees connected, engaged and motivated even when they’re miles apart. As we move towards the Christmas party season, you’ll see that we’ve done much more than hang a bit of tinsel on our existing products – we’ve developed a brand new Festive Social for the season, that’s designed to bring everything that’s best about the annual staff get-together right into the comfort of your home.

Keeping the Christmas party going

Of course, there are certain things that can’t be replicated – falling over on the dancefloor or walking sheepishly into the office the next day knowing you were the first to the bar and last one to leave. But the madness, the unpredictability and the antics that remain a regular talking point until the following December? We can deliver those to you at home, all without the hassle of booking a venue or persuading people to take part in Secret Santa.

Putting on a lockdown Christmas party

Our Festive Social ensures it’s a party to remember, combining festive-themed trivia challenges and fun creative tasks to bring people together and deliver something for everyone to enjoy. It’s the latest in a suite of industry-leading virtual team building activities that we’ve devised during 2020 to help companies maintain their unique culture remotely, keep employees feeling valued and boost team spirit right through lockdown. Just as in pre-Covid days, team socials are much more than a break from work or a bit of fun – they’re integral to staff wellbeing and morale, and over recent months they’ve proved the key to keeping colleagues feeling truly connected. The Christmas party is no exception!

Amid the challenges of keeping costs down during the pandemic, many companies have placed team building and socials low on the priority list. This makes creating an exciting, challenging and engaged workplace twice as difficult – even if you’re checking in on workloads via video call ten times a day, there’s no substitute for the kind of interactions that these out-of-the-ordinary activities create. At Wildgoose, we’ve made it our mission this year to show that team socials make a real difference even via an internet connection. Even if it’s your very first social of the year, you can be sure that putting on a lockdown Christmas party will be exactly the morale boost employees need.

What a lockdown Christmas party looks like

Our Festive Social virtual Christmas activity is suitable for people participating from home or the office, in groups or by themselves. It starts with a virtual briefing from one of our Wildgoose presenters, before teams split up onto video calls for Round 1 – where colleagues join forces to solve a mix of festive trivia questions. This is followed by a bonus round, in which teams complete a range of hands-on creative tasks using photos and videos.

In Round 2, teams go back to their Zoom Breakout Rooms for another festive quiz, before everyone regroups for community challenges, as well as enjoying the best photos and videos from the previous bonus round. Then it’s time to complete the ultimate Festive Photo Challenge.

Finally Round 3 gives teams a quick-fire quiz finale, where they must answer as many questions as possible before the timer counts down to zero. It’s a high-energy finish to an exciting, engaging and memorable party that will see one team crowned as the ultimate Festive Social winners.

Here are some more details on how the Festive Social works:

• The event lasts for 75 minutes, including 60 minutes of gameplay (75 mins incl. briefing & wrap up)
• The ideal team size is 4 to 6 people
• 250 people per Zoom session can take part in total
• The games are a mix of individual challenges, teamwork and ‘community’ challenges completed as a whole group
• The games can be played anywhere, with teams split across multiple locations
• Every round is led by a facilitator who will keep the energy up and give regular updates on how the scoreboard looks
• All participants will see content on their own devices, in order to adhere to social distancing even where people are playing together in person